iPhone Applications

iOS fans watch out. Apple has just launched updates to their own mobile applications, iBooks and Cards. Although the iBooks update is relatively minor, version 2.1.1 will solve an annoying problem that some users have experienced. The main bug addressed by the update is an issue where iBooks prompts you to sign in with your Apple ID at unexpected times.

Fans of Cards will be happy to install version 1.1 which brings all kinds of new options. Not only are there now letterpress cards specifically designed for Mother's Day coming up on May 13, but Apple has added additional cards for birthdays and more. Other improvements include new Get Well card designs.

So you've decided to close your Instagram account and save your retro photos from the clutches of Facebook. Many users have enjoyed the creative filters on Instagram, which are known for giving the images an analog, film-like look.

The good news is there are many photography apps in the App Store with even better filters. Many of these photo apps are free and provide several options for sharing and showing off your pictures to friends. Here are 8 of the top alternatives to Instagram available on the iPhone.

Now that Instagram has been acquired by Facebook for a cool $1 billion, users are concerned about changes to the service. Even worse, some iPhone owners are concerned that Instagram will soon be inundated by advertisements or modify its privacy policies.

Even though the official statement by CEO Mark Zuckerberg explains that Facebook is "committed to building and growing Instagram independently," this hasn't alleviated everyone's privacy concerns. Luckily for them, there's still time to download all Instagram photos and quit the app forever.

Both Facebook and Dropbox raised eyebrows this week when a security flaw was discovered that could reveal iOS users' personal data. The good news is that both companies are working on a patch to correct the security hole. In addition, the threat of your information actually being stolen is low.

The flaw enables access to personal data only if the malicious person going after your data has physical access to your iPhone or iPad. When it comes to Facebook, the issue revolves around use of a plain text file known as a .plist to store sensitive login information. Copying the file to another iOS device enables access to the victim's account using the Facebook app.

iDownloadblog got an early look at a new and interesting app coming to Cyida. AppMosaic makes finding popular apps easier by displaying the top 400 applications and games in the Apple App Store.

The jailbreak tweak separates the apps into two columns: the top 200 paid apps on the left, and the top 200 free apps on the right. The app's name and developer info is displayed on a panel at the bottom of the screen when you tap any of the 400 listed icons. You can then load the app's official App Store page by tapping the displayed info.